


I Believe aka Scooby Memorial Day

by MsGordo_Writings



Category: Angel: the Series, Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV)
Genre: Gen, Ghosts, Songfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-30
Updated: 2020-01-30
Packaged: 2021-02-27 06:54:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,907
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22482934
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MsGordo_Writings/pseuds/MsGordo_Writings
Summary: Remembering those lost.
Kudos: 4





	I Believe aka Scooby Memorial Day

**Author's Note:**

> This work belongs to MsGordo (https://archiveofourown.org/users/kipplemine/profile) and has been posted with her express permission in order to preserve it from Yahoo Groups. If I have missed any tags or warnings, please feel free to let me know.

Title: I Believe aka Scooby Memorial Day.  
Author: Karen.

Artist: Diamond Rio.  
Song: I Believe  
Lyrics: Skip Ewing/Donny Kees

It was the same every year. The clouds, normally non-existent in California, scudded in to form an oppressive blanket shielding them from the sun and the shadows were long under the trees as though it was the easing of the day into the night rather than the middle of their day of memories.

Angel was first, as always, and he stood for a moment looking down on the grey stone, dull in the dim light. “Hello love.” He took the white rose with the fullest bloom out of his hand and laid it softly at the base of her stone, “How are you?”

_Every now and then soft as breath upon my skin  
I feel you come back again  
And it’s like you haven’t been gone a moment from my side,  
Like the tears were never cried,  
Like the hands of time were pulling you and me._

“I’m good. Still here.” His face cracked in a grin, “Still not dead.”

“That’s a matter of opinion.” The voice was filled with wry amusement as Connor stepped to his father’s side. “Hey dad.” The cocky smile on his face eased into one of love, as he looked at Cordelia’s headstone, “Hey mom, I’m here.”

_And with all my heart I’m sure  
We’re closer than we ever were,  
I don’t have to hear or see  
I’ve got all the proof I need.  
There are more than angels watching over me_

The immortal man took a fat, yellow daisy from the posy he held in his hand and laid it down next to his father’s white rose. He stood for a moment in silent contemplation and then moved to the right until he stood before another simple stone. This time a simple blue forget-me-not was laid on the mossy grass and Connor ran his fingers lightly over the inscription on the smooth marble as he said quietly, “A hundred and fifty years. How can it be a hundred and fifty years and feel like it was just yesterday that I saw her?”

“Don’t know about you mate, but I see her every night.” Spike stalked up to join them, his duster swirling around his legs. He nodded at Angel and then smiled at the headstone that Connor stroked like it was the skin of the long dead woman, “Ain’t that right, Nibblet? We had a gay old time of it, eh?” He raised a brilliant red poppy to his lips and kissed it lightly before tossing it to land across Connor’s flower, “I’m here, luv. Same old Spike, still watchin’ out for you, like.”

_I believe  
Oh I believe_

“I’m sure that’s a great comfort.” Anya’s voice floated briskly through the small clearing as the vengeance demon picked her way across the ground on impossibly high heels. “Even dead you don’t let the poor girl have any peace.”

Spike grinned, “Demon girl.” He bent his head to kiss her cheek affectionately, “She’d never believe it was me if I let up on ‘er.”

Anya tossed her short blonde hair back and eyed his attire narrowly, “Is that why you still wear that ridiculous excuse for an outfit?” She tugged at his duster and wrinkled her nose at the black t-shirt and red over shirt beneath, “Honestly Spike, I wish you’d let me taking you shopping.” She patted his cheek; “I could find you a very suitable outfit for these little visits.”

Spike stumbled back in mock horror, “Bloody ‘ell, I still remember what you ‘ad me wearin’ at your weddin’. No bloody way!”

Anya grinned, “Blue was very you.”

“So’s this.” Spike gestured to his leather coat, “’Sides it’s the one day of the year I drag the old thing out for an airing. Wouldn’t seem right if I didn’t show wearin’ it, like.”

“No. I suppose not.” Anya’s face softened as she moved past Angel with a gentle squeeze on his outstretched hand and smiled down at the headstone with five simple words on it. “Xander Harris. Husband, father, saviour.” Her voice turned husky with tears as she kissed the tips of her fingers and pressed them to the stone. “I still miss you.”

_Now when you die and life goes on,  
It doesn’t end here  
When you’re gone every soul has found a flight  
It never ends if I’m right.  
Our love can even reach across eternity._

Xander reached out and tried to touch Anya’s hair as she bent her head and wept silent tears, “Back atcha, Ahn.” He turned his head as Angel stared down in silent contemplation, “Hey Deadboy. Still with the stupid hair, huh?”

Cordelia glared at the eternal pain in her ass and then looked at Angel, “It is not stupid.” She drifted closer to her love and stared yearningly into his eyes as he looked fixedly through her at her gravestone, “Its classic.” She raised a ghostly hand and passed it along the line of cheek, “Hey, baby.”

_I believe  
Oh I believe_

“Is it that time already?” Dawn Summers blinked as she looked around her and then smiled as she saw Connor, “It only feels like five minutes since I went back.”

Buffy materialised beside her, “Nope. Definitely that time again. I can feel Spike getting antsy for weeks when it’s coming.” She grinned at Dawn, Cordelia and Xander, “How they doing?”

Xander winced, “Oh god, Deadboy’s about to do the Speech.” He rolled his ghostly eyes, “Somebody call an exorcist.”

“Uh, Xan, that would get rid of us, not Angel.” Dawn wound herself round Connor and sighed as she yearned for just one more chance to really touch him again, “Kinda stupid if you ask me.”

Xander looked miserably at Angel as the vampire began to speak, “What ever works, Dawnie, whatever works.”

_Forever you’re a part of me,  
Forever in the heart of me,  
I will hold you even longer if I can.  
Oh the people, who don’t see the most,  
See that I believe in ghosts.  
If that makes me crazy then I am_

“Another year’s gone by.” Angel walked in a slow circle around the group of gravestones and paused at each one to lay a half opened white rose on it, “We’re all still here, all still alive.”

Buffy grinned at Cordelia, “Well, duh! We’re dead not blind.”

Cordelia smiled back, “Unlike some vampires I could mention.”

“We still fight the fight.” Angel met the eyes of the people at the graves he could actually see and completely missed Xander energetically pretending to throttle himself and Dawn giggling behind a ghostly hand, “Our people still help us where they can.” He gestured at Connor, “And for the most part we’re together.” 

_Cuz I believe  
Oh I believe_

Xander glared at Angel, “I didn’t think it was possible for him to get any more boring.” He grinned at Cordy mockingly, “Who knew?”

There are more than angels watching over me.

Anya obviously thought the same and stepped forward, “And we’re winning more than we lose these days, which makes for a pleasant change.” Her head tilted to the side as she nodded towards Buffy’s marker, “The new Slayer seems to make real use of Giles’ diaries and really learns from your mistakes.”

It was Buffy’s turn to glare, “Hey!”

Cordelia and Dawn snickered as Xander patted Buffy’s hand comfortingly, “She doesn’t mean it, Buff.”

Anya moved to Willow’s grave and placed a posy of wildflowers on her grave, “And we have a new witch with us now. She’s young and stupid but she tries hard and so far she hasn’t tried to blow up the world, so that’s a plus.”

Buffy winced, “She really needs to let that go. Willow apologised like a hundred times for that.” 

_I believe  
Oh I believe_

Spike laid a deep, red rose on Buffy’s grave and smirked, “Alright, Slayer?” His blue eyes shone with love as he stuck his hands in his pockets and winked at the marker, “I’m still behaving meself, like.”

Anya slipped an arm round Spike’s waist and told Buffy’s gravestone proudly, “Four apocalypses so far this year and he stopped two of them all by himself.” She beamed up at Spike, “We’re very proud.”

Buffy smiled softly at Spike, ”Me too.”

Silence fell as they all looked at the circle of gravestones in the quiet glade. Names that were the stuff of myth and legend in the demonic world but unknown by the humans. Buffy Summers, Rupert Giles, Willow Rosenberg, Xander Harris, Cordelia Chase, Dawn Summers, Wesley Wyndam-Pryce, Charles Gunn, Winifred Burkle and Krevlorneswath of the Deathwok Clan, champions to the end.

The whole group, including the ghosts, jumped a mile when a shrill beeping sounded and then Connor smiled apologetically as he tugged his vid-phone from his pocket. “Hello?”

A sweet faced girl of about twenty smiled from the small screen, “Hey, sweetie, sorry to interrupt but we have a major problem. Demonic rising at the docks.”

Dawn peered with interest over Connor’s shoulder and then nodded at the others, “Its his wife.” She cocked her head to the side, “Huh, she cut her hair. It looks good.”

Connor smiled, “Its ok, we’re finishing up here. I’ll meet you there.” He clicked the phone closed and shrugged, “No rest for the wicked.”

Spike grinned, “Tell me about it. Want help?”

Connor tucked his phone away and smiled, “Yeah, that’d be good.” He nodded his head at Dawn’s grave, “See you next year, baby. Bye Mom.”

The four physically able moved swiftly around the circle of graves placing a flower on each of them and then smiled at each other. Spike slung an arm over Anya’s shoulders as they moved away, “So, we meeting up next week for dinner?”

“Only if I cook.” Angel ran his tongue around his teeth, “That pasta you made last month stuck to my fangs for three days after.”

Connor laughed as they took the path back to their cars, “Oh yeah, and your chillie is so much better.” He ducked as Angel took an affectionate swipe at his head, “Open can and stir till stuck to pan.”

Buffy and the others watched their laughing exit with wide smiles and then Xander clapped his hands together, “Well, that went well.” He raised his eyes to heaven dramatically, “And thank the Powers the speech got cut short this year. What now?”

Buffy stretched, “The rest of the guys are keeping an eye on Clem. He’s playing poker and he was four Siamese and a tabby down when I had to leave and come here.”

Dawn winced, “Ouch. Ok, kitten poker it is.”

Cordelia began to fade, “Any chance of stopping by the Neiman Marcus sale on the way over?”

“Cor, we’re dead.” The clouds above began to part and let the first weak rays of sun into the clearing as Xander disappeared after his eternal companion, “What are you gonna do, possess a pair of shoes?”

Buffy and Dawn joined hands and grinned at each other as they followed their friends. “They’re ok.” 

Buffy smirked at Dawn as her baby sister looked one last time at the spot where Connor had disappeared before she left the physical realm for another year, “Was there ever any doubt?”

 _Every now and then soft as breath upon my skin,_  
I feel you come back again  
And I believe.


End file.
